Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb lapider

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The English translation of the French verb lapider is “to stone.” It is pronounced as “lah-pee-day.”

The word lapider comes from the Latin word “lapidare,” meaning “to throw stones.” It is a verb that is most often used in the context of punishment or retribution, where a group of people throw stones at someone as a form of execution or punishment. In everyday French, lapider is used primarily in the Plus-que-parfait tense, which is the past perfect tense, to describe an action that had already happened before another past action.

Here are 3 simple examples of its usage in the Plus-que-parfait tense:

  1. Les villageois avaient lapidé le voleur avant que la police n’arrive. (The villagers had stoned the thief before the police arrived.)

  2. Elle avait lapidé son mari infidèle avant de le quitter. (She had stoned her unfaithful husband before leaving him.)

  3. Les étudiants avaient lapidé le proviseur pour protester contre les nouvelles règles. (The students had stoned the principal to protest against the new rules.)

In each of these examples, the action of stoning had already taken place before another past action, indicated by the use of the past perfect tense “avait lapidé.” The English translations show the use of the past perfect tense as well.

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of lapider

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais lapidé J’avais lapidé le coupable. I had stoned the culprit.
tu tu avais lapidé Tu avais lapidé l’accusé. You had stoned the accused.
il il avait lapidé Il avait lapidé le prisonnier. He had stoned the prisoner.
elle elle avait lapidé Elle avait lapidé le voleur. She had stoned the thief.
on on avait lapidé On avait lapidé le coupable. One had stoned the culprit.
nous nous avions lapidé Nous avions lapidé l’homme. We had stoned the man.
vous vous aviez lapidé Vous aviez lapidé l’assassin. You had stoned the assassin.
ils ils avaient lapidé Ils avaient lapidé le criminel. They had stoned the criminal.
elles elles avaient lapidé Elles avaient lapidé le témoin. They had stoned the witness.

Other Conjugations for Lapider.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider     (this article)

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb lapider

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Lapider – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb lapider. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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